Shower cabinet



1, 1953 c. J. DAUGHERTY ETAL 2,648,409

SHOWER CABINET 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 27, 1945 INVENTORS S Z W dfidw H u M 1 1%. Zm ff a Y g 1953 c. J. DAUGHERTY ElAL 2,648,409

SHOWER CABINET 4 Sheets-Sheet; 2

Filed Dec. 27, 1945 mvsmoks" i Thales Z' 1711105011 ATTORNEYS Aug. 11, 1953 c. J. DAUGHERTY ETAL SHOWER CABINET,

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' SHOWER CABINET Filed Dec. 27, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTORIS a deffla) A z 379011145 l nair mz WWW W 1 ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 11, 1953 UNITED TATES ,PATENT OFFICE 2,548,409 SH WER CABINET l de D u h r y and Thomas F. Anderson,

Cleveland, Qhim assignor's tpfTli e' San ymetal Products 00., In (fllevelandj' Qliio, a corpora;-

.evv i fi e psemb masseus .36

formed from sheet metal to present abottom wall enclosed within a continuous upstanding containing wall. The receptor pan rests upon a rectangular shaped base frame which m ayalso be formed from sheet metal. An important feature of the invention is the provision of an enclosure which rests upon the receptorpan and which comprises interchangeable corner sections formed and adapted to fit any'selected corner of the rceptor pan, the corner sections being joined by interchangeable wall panel sections designed to fit between and be attachably and detachably connected to the vertical margins of the corner sections. A detachabl head frame'provided with spaced downwardly extending legs which telescope over the upper ends of the corner sections and wall panel sections, serves to retain the corner sections and Wall panel sections in rigid assembled position.

Since the interchangeable cornersections' are similar in size and design they may be fabricated by, economical production procedures and a supply thereof held in stock. The wall panel sectionsare also similar in size: anddesi'gn' and"can therefore be manufactured and'stocked at a mm imum cost. The various fabricatedparts which constitute the complete shower cabinet are so formed and shaped that theymay be. nested together to also effect economies in shipment and storage. Except for the plumbingjconn'ections, the shower cabinet can be erected by unskilled laborin a matter of a few minutes without the use of screws or similar securing means, and may as easily be disassembled and; erected at another location. The complete shower cabinet is strong and sturdy in construction, durable and lasting in use, attractive in appearance, and-can be manufactured by mass production methods at relatively low cost.

Various other features and advantages of this invention will :be made apparent from the following description taken in connection with the ac companying drawings forming a part thereof; in which;

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the shower cabinet as it appears when fully assembled;

2 Fig. 2 is a side-elevational view thereof; fFj'i'g. 311s -a r'iexpl'oded view of the shower cabinet, particularly"illustrating the separable and interchangeable,features thereof;

Fig. '4 is a'fragmenta'ry front elevational View of the shower cabinet, certain parts beingbroken awayto illustrate structural features thereof; Figf5' is a fragmentary vertical cross sectional View ojfthe shower cabinet as the same appears whenvi'ewed along lin 5-5 of Fig. 41 Fig; 6'1 s-an enlarged horizontal cross sectional view of the shower cabinet as the same appears when viewed along line fi-6 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 isan enlarged view of a fragmentary detail of the construction, showing particularly the manner in which thewall-panel sections are de. tacha-bly connectedto the vertical wall of therecep'tor pan; and Fig, 8 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional View to illustrate more particularly the manner in" which the" wall panel section is detachably joined to the adjacent corner section't'o provide a wallen'closure' for the shower cabinet.-

Similar reference characters refer to similar partsthroughout the several views of the drawingsand"specification.

Thei'shower'cabinet generally comprises a receptor pa-n l, supported in position above the floor; by a suitable base 2. The enclosure walls of the cabinet rests upon and are supported by the vertical enclosing walls of the receptor pan. The enclosing walls of'ythe cabinet are formed by vertically extending corner sections, indicated in the drawings for purposes of illustration asfour in number and clesignated by immerse 3; 4, 5 and, 6. The spaces between th vertical corner sect-ionsare enclosed by wall panel sections identifiedin the drawings by nuineralsi'dys and 9. A head frame Ill is formed to seat upon the upper ends ofthe corner sections and the wall panel sections and is constructed to give rigidity and strength; to the walled enclosure.

IIfhe receptor pen I, as shownmore particularly in Eigs 3, 4; and 5, may be formed from a single b ank isheet me a somp ii ne a bottom wall I4 divided into a plurality of triangular shaped sections'fi which incline towards a drain opening I6 inthe center of the bottom wall, the triangular secti'ons, l5 beingdefined by valleys ll which" are" also inclined towards the drain opening .16. .I'Phe drain opening-l9 is so formed as'to permit a waste water pipe to be connected theretoti The'botto'mwall it merges into an upstandingwalhwhich may be: defined as comprising arront Wall portion is, sidewall portions it and.

a rear wall portion 20. It will be noted by referring to the drawings that the cabinet may be given an attractive appearance by merging th bottom wall into the upstanding wall of the pan by a rounded corner curvature 2 I, the adjacent ends of the wall portions [8, I9 and also merging together in the form of curved corner bends The front wall portion is of the pan may be pro vided with ventilating louvres 23, as shown more particularly in Figs. 1, 4 and 5.

The base 2 which supports the receptor pan 1 in space relation to the floor comprises an outer rectangular shaped supporting frame of channel shaped cross section, and an inner supporting frame 26 which may be rectangular or cylindrical in form. The upper flange 21 of the outer supporting frame 25 may be welded or otherwise fixedly secured to the bottom wall I4 of the pan,

the lower flange 28 thereof being designed to;

rest on the supporting floor. The inner supporting frame 26 is positioned closely adjacent to the depressed deformation 29 which surrounds the drain opening 16 in the bottom wall [4 of the pan to provide a firm support for the center area of the bottom wall M. The inner supporting frame 26 may also be channel shaped in cross section with the upper flange 30 thereof welded or otherwise suitably secured to the bottom wall M of the pan, the lower flange 3i thereof being designed to rest on the supporting floor. The receptor pan I, the outer supporting frame 25, and the inner supporting frame 26 are thus formed and secured together to provide a one piece pan and base unit.

An important feature of this invention is the provision of interchangeable corner sections which may be detachably mounted on the vertical wall portions of the receptor pan at any corner location. These corner sections are shown in Fig. 1 as four in number to provide a shower 4r cabinet of rectangular cross section. As shown more particularly in Figs. 3, 6 and 8, each corner section presents a pair of wall facing portions 33 which merge together to form a rounded corner 34 substantially conforming to the rounded corners 22 of the receptor pan. The vertical edge of each of the facing portions terminates in a male tube formation 35 formed by an inturned flange portion 31 extending substantially at right angles to the facing portion 33, an inturned lip portion 38 extending from the flange portion 31 in a direction substantially parallel to and in overlying relationship with the facing portion 33, and a rebent portion 39 which overlies the lip formation 38 as shown more particularly in Fig. 8. The male tube formations 35 reinforce the corner sections and also provide means for detachably securing the wall panel sections 1, 8 and 9 therebetween.

It will be noted that the paired facing portions 33 and the paired male tube formations 35 of each corner section are right and left hand duplicates and may be formed from a single sheet of metal by brake, press or draw bench operations at a high speed of production and at low cost.

One end of each of the corner sections is provided with means for detachably securing the same to the vertical wall portions of the receptor pan l at any selected corner thereof. By referring more particularly to Fig. 3, it will be noted that one end of the wall facing portions 33 and the merging rounded corner portion 34 is provided with an upturned flange 4|. A hanger strip 42 extends around the outside face of the,

iii)

facing portions 35 and merging corner portion 36. The hanger strip 42 may be formed of sheet metal having a generally U-shaped cross section, one leg portion 43 of which is fixedly secured as by welding to the adjacent facing portions 33 of the corner section, the lower edge of the leg portion 43 seating against the upper edge of the upturned flange 4| previously described. The upper end of the leg portion 43 merges into a rounded saddle portion 44 which in turn merges into a downwardly extending leg portion 45. The lower end of each corner section is designed to telescope within the enclosing vertical wall portions of the receptor pan, with the upturned flange portion 4| and the inner leg portion 43 seating smoothly against the inside face of the rounded corner portion 22 of the receptor pan. The downward extending leg portion 45 is designed to snugly telescope over the outside face of the rounded corner portion 22 of the pan with the rounded saddle portion 44 of the hanger strip 42 snugly seating upon the upper edge 46 of the vertical wall portions of the pan. It will thus be noted that the interchangeable corner sections 3, 4, 5 and 6 may be detachably secured to the vertical wall portions of the pan at any desired or selected corner thereof.

The wall-forming panels 1, 8 and 9 enclose the space between the vertical extending corner sections 3, 4, 5 and 6 so as to provide a three-walled enclosure, the fourth wall being left unpaneled to provide an entrance way into the shower cabinet. Since the shower cabinet is designed to have a rectangular cross section, the side wall panels i and 9 may be duplicates as to shape and size.

It will be appreciated that if the shower cabinet is to be made substantially square in horizontal cross-section, the rear wall panel 8 will also be of the same size and shape as the side wall panels 1 and 9. The enclosing wall panels I, 8 and 9 are formed from sheet metal and are characterized by a flat wall portion 41 designed to interflt and extend between the male tube or style formations 35 of adjacent vertical corner sections.

Each of the opposite vertical edges of the wall portion 4'1 of each enclosing panel is provided with a female tube formation 48 designed to interlock with adjacent male tube formation 35 of the adjacent corner section. Each female tube formation 48 as shown in Figs. 6 and 8 comprises an inturned flange portion 50 extending at inwardly substantially right angles to the wall portion 41. The inner end of the flange portion 50 terminates in a saddle portion 5| extending laterally at right angles to the flange portion 50 and substantially parallel to the wall portion 41. The saddle portion 5| terminates in an out-turned 11p portion 52 extending substantially at right angles to the saddle portion 5! and substantially parallel to the flange portion 50. The lip portion 52 terminates in a rebent portion 53 which overlies the inside face of the lip portion 52.

The flange portion 50, the saddle portion 5| and the lip portion 52 of the female tube formation 48 is designed to snugly telescope over the corresponding male tube formation 35 of the corner section, when the wall panels are inserted between the corner sections. It will be noted more particularly in Fig. 8, that the lip portion 52 of the female tube formation 48 has a certain resiliency which permits the rebent portion 53 thereof to be forced over the rounded end 40 of the male tube formation 35. When the wall panel is in position the free edge 54 of the rebent portion 53 .ofthe female formation '48 will be in posi tion to substantially abut the-end Mi ofthe male formation 35 so as to securely lockthe wall panel to the adjacent corner section. The wall panel can however be removed from its position between the corner sections by springing the resilient lip format-ion 52 outwardly so that the rebent portion 53 thereof will ride over the end ill of the male tube formation 35 associated-with the corner section.

The lower ends of each of the wall panels 7,8 and 9 are provided with a hanger strip 60 formed from a strip of sheet metal which is designed to saddle over the upper edge of the adjacent vertical wall portion of the receptor pan. As shown more particularly in Figs. '4, 5 and'7, the lower end of the wall portion '41 of each of the wall panels is provided with an upturned flange 61 forming a rounded bottom edge. The flange 6| is designed to seat against theinside face of the adjacent vertical wall portion of vthe receptor pan. The hanger strip 60 has an inner leg 62 which is secured to the outside face of the wall portion iii as by welding'63. The upper end of the leg portion t2 merges-into a rounded saddle portion t l, designed to seat over the upperedge of the adjacent vertical wall portion of the pan. The saddle portion 64 merges into a downturned leg portion 65 designed to snugly telescope over the outside face of the vertical wall-portion of the pan so that the vertical portionof the pan is snugly seated within the cavi-tytfi formed by the hanger strip 66. The wall panels 1, 8 and '53 are thus supported by their associated hanger strips to upon the vertical wall portions of the pan, with the lower end of each wall portion 47 of the wall panel extending into the pan in a manner to shed all water moving down the inside face of the wall panel directly into'the receptor pan.

It will be further noted by referring to Figs. 1 and that the ends of the hanger strips Boattachecl to the lower ends of the wall portions 41 of the wall panels are designed to form a smooth vertical joint 6i with the hanger strips Msecured to the lower ends of the adjacent corner-sections, and that the vertical joint 61' substantially aligns with the joint so formed "between the vertical edge of the wall portion 41'! of the-wall panel and the adjacent vertical-edge ofv the adjacent facing portion 33 of the corner section. Thusthese joints, which are a necessary part ofthe construction, do not detract from-the general line symmetry of the cabinet.

The upper .endsof the corner sections 13,4, 5

and and the upper ends of the wall panels 1, .8 and 9 are capped by arectangular shapedhcad frame it. This head'frame isshown more particularly in Figs. 1,3, 4 andi5 and comprises an outer frame member l9 which maybe formed from ,a single sheet of metal of generally angular cross sections havingv a downwardly extending leg ll designed to and snugly telescope over the outside face of the wall portions 41 .of the pa l s i s a t e out ide fa es of th lasin p ti ns 33 a d mer in c rne 1 91 1192 513 ofth corner sections. The outerframe member 110;has a continuous inturneol leg or flange ,2 which merges into the downtu-rned leg PH through .a rounded corner portion 7-3. 'FITO removably but frictionally retain the head frame in position, space resilient friction strips 15. are attached to the inside face of the outer rectangular frame-as shown in Figs. 3, 4 -and5. The friction strips may be of any desired-length and areformed of sheet metal having a spread channel cross section. The upper leg 16 of the friction strip is secured as by spot welding Ti to the inside face of the horizontal leg 12 of the outer frame member Hi. The depending leg 18 of the friction strip i5 is spaced from the downwardly extending leg ii of the outer frame member is in amanner to frictionall grip the upper end of the wall panel therebetween. It will be appreciated that the friction strips 15 have a certain inherent resiliency which when properly formed will cause the strip to resiliently grip the inside face of the wall portion Gl of the wall panel so as to clampthe upper end of the wall portion between the downturned leg portion ll of the outer frame member '75 and the depending leg 18 of the friction strip.

A curtain rod 86 may be provided to extend adjacent the upper end of the entrance way. The curtain rod may be supported at-each end thereof by a pair of hook-shaped brackets 81 which are pivotally mounted as by studs or bolts 82 to the head frame It as shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5. Thus the curtain rod supporting brackets M are pivotally suspended from the head frame and form a part thereof, and are positioned interiorly of the corner sections of the cabinet.

A tread member 83 is also provided to seat upon the upper edge of the front Wall portion [8 of the receptor pan and to extendbetween the adjacent vertical edges of the corner sections 3 and. t. The tread member 83, as shown in Fig. 5, comprises an angle shaped outer member 86 and an angle shaped inner member 85. The horizontal leg 86 of the outer member seats upon the upper edge of the front wall portion l8-of the pan and is secured to the horizontal leg 87 of the inner member 85. The spaced vertical legs 88 and at of the inner and outer members receive the front wall portion of the pan therebetween.

One of the side wall panels 1 or 9 is provided with a pair of water faucet openings 90 as shown in Fig. 1 at a convenient elevation. An overhead opening 9i to receive the water supply pipe which carries the spray head is also provided.

This improved shower cabinet can be economically constructed largely by production machinery with a minimum of hand assembly. The receptor pan i may be made from asingle sheet of metal shaped in a power press in substantially a single forming operation. The outer supporting frame 25 may be formed from a length of sheet metal first formed into channel form and then notched to provide a rectangular frame Whose joints are welded to provide a one piece construction. The inner supporting frame 26 may be similarly formed. The outer frame 25 and inner frame 26 are Welded to the under side i the receptor pan 5 to provide a unit which, after painted or enameling, may be shipped in a minimum space.

The corner sections It, 4, 5 and 6 are identical in form and shape and can be formed with the same set of tools and kept in stock. The facing portions 33 and merging rounded corner portion 34 as well as the male tube formations 35 are formed from a single blank of sheet metal and may be shaped at high production speeds on a brake forming press, or draw bench. These formed members can be kept in stock in convenient lengths for later assembly into shower cabinets. The pro-formed hanger strip v42 is welded to the lower end of each corner section as shown in Fig. 3 and the necessary number of corner sections painted or enameled and nested together for shipment. The side wall forming panels 1 and 9 are duplicates and designed to fit either side of the receptor pan. Thus the necessary water faucet holes 90 and water pipe hole 9| may be punched into either one of the side wall panels with the assurance that the side wall panel having the holes 90 and Eli will fit that side of the pan which is positioned adjacent to the water piping. When the shower cabinet has a square cross section, the rear wall panel 8 would also be a duplicate of the side wall panels I and 9. The side wall panels I and 9 and the rear wall panel 8 may each be economically formed from single blank of sheet metal on a brake or forming press-with a minimum number of operations and these panels kept in storage until it is desired to complete the construction of the shower cabinets. The pro-formed hanger strips 60 are welded to the wall portions 41 of the wall panels, the panels painted or enameled, and then nested together for ship ment.

The head frame it may also be economically formed with a minimum of fabrication operations. The outer frame member ID may be made from a length of sheet metal formed into the required angular cross section and then bent into rectangular form after suitable notching to permit such formation, the broken joints then being welded together. The friction strips 75 are likewise formed of sheet metal and may be easily welded to the outer frame member 10. The eurtain rod supporting hooks 8! may be formed from stamp sheet metal and pivotally or fixedly secured to the head frame by a rivet, belt or by welding. When pivotally secured to the head frame, the brackets may be swung into the head frame so as to permit the head frame to be packed in a minimum space.

It will thus be appreciated that the complete shower cabinet may be shipped and stored in a minimum space by nesting the corner sections 3, 4, 5 and 6 together and nesting the wall panels '5, 8 and ii together. The head frame ll) may be telescoped over the bottom end of the outer the plumbing hardware may be placed within the receptor pan or within the outer supporting frame 25 without requiring additional space. The entire shower cabinet may be packaged to occupy r a minimum cubical space, thus achieving marked economies in shipment and storage.

In erecting the shower cabinet at its location, the receptor pan I is placed in the desired location on the floor and the drain pipe is connected to the drain outlet I6. The corner sections 3, 5 and 6 are then erected by telescoping the hanger strip 42 provided on each of the corner sections over the upper edge of the vertical wall portions of the pan at the corners thereof. The wall panel section which is provided with the plumbing receiving holes 90 and Si is then telescoped onto the upper edge of that vertical side wall portion of the receptor pan which is adjacent to the water piping. The water faucets and shower head pipe may then be connected with ample room to work. The rear wall panel -3 and. the other side wall panel are then placed in position by telescoping the hanger strip 60 at the lower end thereof over the edge of adjacent vertical wall portion of the pan and then pressing the female tube formations 48 thereof into telescoping engagement with the male tube formations 35 associated with the adjacent corner sections. The head frame It) may then be telescoped into position and is friction-held in place without the use of screws and other securing means. The rod hooks 8| are swung into downwardly suspended position and the curtain rod mounted thereon, and the tread member 83 is telescoped over the upper edge of the front wall portion [8 of the receptor pan. It will thus be appreciated that, except for the plumbing connections, the entire shower cabinet may be quickly erected b unskilled labor in a matter of a few minutes without the use of screws or other attaching means, thus providing a sturdy, durable and attractive shower cabinet which is economical to manufacture, ship, store and install.

While certain novel features of the invention have been disclosed and are pointed out in the annexed claims, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions and changes may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of this invention.

What is claimed is:

1. An improved shower cabinet including, a receptor pan, a plurality of interchangeable corner sections having similar face portions connected to the receptor pan, and a plurality of interchangeable Wall forming panels having similar wall forming facing portions connected to said receptor pan and to said corner sections, each of said corner sections having similar tubular male formations along the vertical side edges thereof interfitting with and received by similar tubular female formations extending along the adjacent vertical side edges of each of said wall forming panels, each of said tubular male formations presenting an edge portion extending inwardly at right angles to the adjacent facing portion, a flange portion extending from said edge portion substantially parallel to and overlying the adjacent face portion, and a rebent portion extending parallel to and overlying said flange portion.

2. An improved shower cabinet including, a receptor pan, a plurality of interchangeable corner sections having similar facing portions connected to the receptor pan, and a plurality of interchangeable wall forming panels having similar wall forming facing portions connected to said receptor pan and to said corner sections, each of said corner sections having similar tubular male formations along the vertical side edges thereof interfitting with and received by similar tubular female formations extending along the adjacent vertical side edges of each of said wall forming panels, each of said tubular female formations presenting an edge portion extending inwardly at right angles to the adjacent facing portion, a first flange portion extending from said edge portion substantially parallel to and overhanging the adjacent facing portion, a second flange portion extending outwardly from said first flange portion and substantially parallel to said edge portion, and a rebent portion extending inwardly from the outer edge of said second flange portion and having a free edge terminating short of the outside face of said first flange portion to define a groove therebetween.

3. An improved shower cabinet including, a receptor pan, a plurality of interchangeable corner sections connected to the receptor pan, all of said corner sections having similar face portions and similar tubular male formations along the opposite vertical edges thereof, and a plurality of interchangeable wall forming panels having similar facing portions connected to said receptor pan, each of said wall panels having similar female tubular formations along the vertical edges thereof interlocking with and receiving the male tubular formations of said corner sections, each of said tubular male formations presenting an edge portion extending inwardly at right angles to the adjacent face portion, a flange portion extending from said edge portion substantially parallel to and overlying the adjacent face portion, and a rebent portion extending parallel to and overlying said flange portion, each of said tubular female formations presenting an edge portion extending inwardly at right angles to the adjacent facing portion, a first flange portion extending from said edge portion substantially parallel to and overhanging the adjacent facing portion, a second flange portion extending outwardly from said first flange portion and substantially parallel to said edge portion, and a rebent portion extending inwardly from the outer edge of said flange portion and having a free edge terminating short of the outside face of said first flange portion to define a groove therebetween interlockingly receiving the rebent edge of the tubular male formation of an adjacent corner section.

4. In a shower cabinet construction, a receptor pan, corner sections having rounded corner portions and wall panels having fiat wall forming facing portions mounted on said receptor pan, and a continuous head frame detachably connected to the upper ends of said corner sections and wall panels to stiffen and reenforce the construction, said head frame comprising an exterior frame member having straight side sections and rounded corners of generally angular cross section and presenting a downward extending leg snugly telescoping over the outside face of said corner sections and wall panels to tie said corner sections and wall panels together in rigid assembly, said exterior frame member having an inwardly extending leg overlying the upper ends of said corner sections and wall panels, and means for detachably securing said exterior frame member to said wall panels comprising a plurality of interior resilient sheet metal clamp members of generally channel shaped cross section, each of said clamp members having a flared inwardly extending leg fixedly secured to the adjacent inwardly extending straight leg of said exterior frame member and a flared downwardly extending leg spaced from the downwardly extending straight leg of the exterior frame member to provide a snug groove therebetween for receiving the upper end of the adjacent wall panel.

CLYDE J. DAUGI-IERTY.

THOMAS F. ANDERSON.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 870,382 Perry Nov. 5, 1907 1,723,410 Dickert Aug. 6, 1929 2,175,605 Holub Oct. 10, 1939 2,229,775 Sherron Jan. 28, 1941 2,253,038 Lee Aug. 19, 1941 2,271,924 Nielsen Feb. 3, 1942 2,282,329 Johnson May 12, 1942 2,282,362 Johnson May 12, 1942 

